LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Herefordshire MHE10 (176)
NMR: SO 46 NW 2 (108425)
SM: 1014541
NGR: SO 423664
X: 342300 Y: 266400 (OSGB36)
Contour hillfort located on a prominent spur opposite and below Croft Ambrey (Atlas No 0012) on a significant bend of the River Lugg. Internal area 2.4ha. Double ramparts visible with medial ditch. Outer rampart smaller than inner and mostly not visible. Outer ditch and counterscarp impressive on W but damaged or gone on the SE. Replaced by berm on steep slope to the N. Inner bank of the inner rampart also destroyed. Interior steep with no sign of hut platforms, but possible sites in quarry scoops behind rampart. Only definite original entrance is at the NE corner with inturn and approached by a trackway with covering rampart on its N side. That to SW also likely to be original. Wooded and site generally in poor condition, especially through timber operations. Its location near Croft Ambrey may be significant. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map 1886.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -316977 Y: 6853215 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.847450994800558 Latitude: 52.292654703151186 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Herefordshire
Historic County: Herefordshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Aymestrey
Timber operations have damaged the site and generally in poor condition, with loss of ramparts in part around the circuit.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Wooded with mixed oak, ash and beech.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Site roughly follows the contours. Located on a prominent spur below Croft Ambrey, above a very significant bend of the River Lugg.
| Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✓ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Spur above the River Lugg
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 201.0m
N/A
None
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
On 1st Ed OS map 1886. Herefordshire Council survey 2012.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1886): | OS map. |
| Other (2012): | Herefordshire Council survey. |
None other than possible quarry scoops.
Spring located 0.25 km outside the hillfort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Interior steep with no sign of hut platforms, but possible sites in quarry scoops behind rampart
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Original entrance on the NE corner, others problematical, but that on the SW corner may also be original. The NE entrance is inturned and approached by a trackway and with a covering rampart on its N side. Possible entrance on the NW corner, but may be modern access.
| 3: | Possible entrance on the NW corner, but may be modern access. |
| 2: | Original entrance on the NE corner, others problematical, but that on the SW corner may also be original. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (North east): | Original inturned entrance. |
| 2. Simple Gap (South west): | Simple gap entrance may be original. |
Double ramparts visible with medial ditch. Outer ditch and counterscarp impressive on W but damaged or gone on the SE. Replaced by berm on steep slope to the N. Outer rampart smaller and mostly destroyed, as is the Inner bank of the inner rampart. The ramparts are variable around the circuit and above an assessment only.
| Area 1: | 2.4ha. |
| Total: | 2.4ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | Problems of rampart destruction in area definition. |
| ✓ | Outer rampart mostly destroyed, but there is a complete circuit. |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✓ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✓ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Outer ditch and counterscarp impressive on W, but damaged or gone on SE. |
Number of Ditches: 2
| ✗ | None |
Dorling, P. and Wigley, A. 2012. Assessment of the archaeological and conservation status of major later prehistoric enclosures in Herefordshire and Shropshire, EH PNUM, Version 3.2, Hereford and Shrewsbury: Herefordshire Council/Shropshire Council.
Page, W. ed. 1908. The Victoria County History of the County of Herefordshire, 1, 202, London: St Catherine Press.
RCHME 1931-34. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 3, (NW), 14-15, London: HMSO.
Atlas of Hillforts:
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This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1